BERKELEY – Former Golden Bear gymnast Mark Freeman returns to California as an assistant coach for the men's gymnastics program and is the first hire under recently-named head coach J.T. Okada.
 
Freeman competed for Cal from 2004-08 and was also a member of the Great Britain National Team. During his time in Berkeley, the Bears finished among the top five at the NCAA Championships on three occasions and notched an MPSF conference title. Freeman also coached the Golden Bears Club Team while he was still a student-athlete.
 
"We're excited for Mark to return to the program," Okada said. "He fits in perfectly with the Cal gymnastics staff. As a former Cal and Team GB gymnast, Mark brings a spectrum of skills to our program. From international gymnastics competition experience to the fundamentals of physical preparation for gymnastics, Mark will help our team tremendously. I'm very happy to be working with Mark and excited to welcome him back to Cal."
 
After graduation, Freeman spent six years as a Cirque du Soleil performer and acrobat where he traveled across the world performing before starting his own elite acrobatic consultancy. Freeman has developed programming for more than 500 clients and 30 facilities across athletic disciplines and has also conducted injury prevention and performance optimization clinics nationwide.
 
For more information on Cal men's gymnastics follow the team on Twitter and Instagram @CalMensGym and like the Cal Men's Gym page on Facebook.